Safety razor blade sharpener



Aug. 14, 1934. E, WOLCQTT 1,970,116

SAFETY RAZOR BLADE SHARPENEH Filed March 8, 1930 Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNETED STATES ATENT OFFICE 19 Claims.

My invention relates to safety razor blade sharpeners. 7

It has among its objects to provide an improved sharpener of the type comprising a casing having sharpening rolls therein and cover flaps on said casing carrying other blade engaging means or rolls co-oper'ating during sharpening with the rolls in the casing. A further object of my invention is to provide an improved sharpener of this type having improved means associated with flaps for controlling the movements of the flaps so that, while the flaps may be disposed and retained in a closed position, the flaps also may be depressed to vary the pressure on the blade as desired while tensioning spring means, and also at all times be freely openable at will to permit the insertion or removal of blades. A still further object of my invention is to provide improved yielding means which are operative wholly independently of the blade supporting pins and which require no cooperation therewith or even. contact therewith in any position of the flaps. Another object of my inventi'on is to provide an improved casing structure for asharpener of this type adapted to be comfortably held in the hand during use and having curved ends on the casing and improved lower curved ends on the casing flaps movable inside the ends of this casing, while also having improved finger engaging means for swinging. the flaps and improved means for inhibiting conflict between the flaps and the rolls in the casing. A still further object of my invention is to provide a sharpener of the character set forth which, while adapted to operate effectively on the blades and presenting an attractive appearance, is also adapted to be manufactured at small expense and to be simple and convenient in use and adapted to withstand long service. These and other objects and advantages of my improved construction will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown for purposes of illustration one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice.

In this drawing,-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the sharpener, the flaps being shown in fully closed position;

Fig. 2 is an end View of the same with the flaps also shown in dotted lines in an open position;

Fig. 3 is a section through the casing shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is an inside perspective view of one of the cover flaps.

The bottom 1 of the casing illustrated is curved from end to end and the side walls 2 are recessed downward near the center. The cover is formed of two flaps 3 thatv are pivoted at A to the side walls of the casing so that the top of the casing may be opened and closed when desired by swinging the flaps reversely about their pivots. As shown, these flaps are also provided with depending curved outer end portions 3." receivable within the curved end walls of. the casing. The sharpening rolls 5 are spirally wound with leather strips 6 and the axles '7 of the lower rolls are mounted in the casing while the axles 8 of the upper rolls are mounted in the side walls of the flaps as indicated. Attached to the rolls are gears 9 that are geared together in the well.- known manner so that when the crank handle 10 is turned forward the rolls will be rotated in order to sharpen the edges of any blade that is placed on the pins 11 with its edges between the upper and lower rolls.

Each of the two pins illustrated is made of. a single solid piece of wire, and they are rigidly fastened, to the bottom of the casing. The upper ends of these pins terminate below the tops of the cover flaps when the flaps are closed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Furthen; it will be evident that since these pins terminate below the full line position of the flaps shown in Fig. 2, wherein the adjacent edges of the flaps mutually engage, theyare even more distant from the edges of the flaps when a blade is in position. in the sharpener; Thus these pins herein may function solely as blade positioning means, as distinguished from combined blade positioningand fiapsupporting means supporting the adjacent edges of the flaps.

Fastened to the curved end walls of the casing are inwardly projecting studs 12 and the outer depending curved ends 3" of the cover flaps 3 are provided with vertical slots 13 of suflicient width topermit the flaps to be opened without interference on the part of the studs. On the inside near the inner edges of the cover flaps and movable therewith are springs 14, herein-- in the form of straight strips of spring metal having their free ends extendingacross the slots 13 and their opposite ends fixed to the inside of the portions 3 of the flaps. The fixed ends of the springs are anchored in lugs 15 while the free ends are arranged to press lightly against the fixed studs when the cover flaps are closed, so as to retain and support the cover flaps in a but slightly raised closed position above the full line position illustrated in Figure 2, or in the latter position. When the flaps are opened the springs are carried with them down into the casing away from the. studs. With a blade on the pins the cover flaps may be closed and pressed downward below this somewhat higher closed position without being obstructed by the pins, the springs yielding suificiently to permit this and allow the upper rolls to be pressed downso that the cutting edges of the blade will be gripped between the surfaces of the upper and lower rolls. Here it will, of course, also be evident that the downward movement of the flaps will be interrupted when the adjacent edges of the flaps abut as shown in full lines in Figure 2, and that this will occur while the flaps are spaced substantially above the upper ends of the pins 11 as shown in that figure. When operating pressure is relieved the springs return the flaps to slightly raised position described above, from which they may be readily .mcved manually to open the same to permit removal of the blade.

For the purpose of opening the flaps, curved slots 16 may be cut in the tops of the flaps, and thetongues 1'? thus formed turned up to permit the ready engagement of the thumb and finger of the user. Attention is also directed to the fact that these tongues 17 being engageable in the open position of the flaps with the end walls of the casing l, as shown in Fig. 2, also form abutment means preventing conflict between the rounded depending portions 3' of the flaps which extend inside said end walls and the rolls in the casing 1, and which, in the closed position of the flaps, form continuations of the end wall of the casing and provide a closed casing, as shown in Fig. 1. The fiaps are also preferably recessed as at 18 near their adjacent edges to receive the thumb of'the user when he wishes to press the flaps down against the thrust of the springs so as to bind the cutting edges of a blade between the rolls. V

With this simple construction the pins for locating'the blade may be made solid and may terminate below the cover flaps, and the flaps be retained, when the device is not in use, so that their upper surfaces are in the same flat plane, due to frictional engagement between the springs and the shanks and heads of the studs. Further it will be evident that the operator inay, by pressure on the tops of the flaps, vary the pressure of the upper rolls on the blade as desired by forcing the flaps toward the rolls in the casing 1. Moreover, it will be noted that the springs 14, which are tensioned by such a movement, not only function to return the flaps from any depressed position, but also act to support the flaps resiliently in a position when no blade is in the sharpener without substantial tension on the springs, while counter-balancing the weight of the rolls carried by the flaps and permitting the flaps at any time to be moved freely to the full open position shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. In this position, it will also be noted that the tongues 17 on the flaps engage the tops of the end walls of the casing 1' in such manner as to prevent the curved depending portions 3 on the flaps from conflicting with the rolls in the latter casing, these tongues thus performing the double function of finger engaged actuating means for swinging the flaps and of means for limiting the movement of the latter to prevent conflict with the rolls. In this full open position, it will also be noted that the springs 14, moving away from the stud 12 as the flaps are raised, are free from tension. The same, in fact, being only tensioned when the flaps are pressed down to increase the pressure on the blade, the springs are accordingly adapted to long use in service. Attention is also directed to the fact that the curved or rounded bottom and ends of the casing make the same adapted to be comfortably held in the hand or in the fingers while pressing down the flaps. These and other advantages of my improved construction will, however, be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While I have in this application specifically described one embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for illustrative purposes and that the same may be modified and embodied in other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of theappended claims.

The invention claimed is:

l. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps pivoted to the casing, blade engaging means comprising sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, blade engaging means mounted on the and cooperating with said rolls, means for rotating the rolls, rigid blade locating pins extending upward from the bottom of the casing, and operative connections between said casing and flaps retaining said flaps in a closed posi-- tion also yieldable to enable the flaps to be pressed toward the rolls in said casing when a blade is being sharpened.

2. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps pivoted to the casing and mutually engageable in one position, blade engaging means comprising sharpening rolls mounted in the easing, sharpening rolls mounted on the flaps, means forrotating the rolls, rigid blade locating pins extending upward from the bottom of the casing to a plane spaced below the mutually engaging position of said flaps, and means for retaining said cover flaps in a closed position above said pins also yieldable to enable the flaps to be pressed toward the rolls in said casing when a blade is being sharpened.

3. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps pivoted to the casing at the outer ends of said flaps and having portions on said ends extending into said casing in both closed and open position of said fiaps, blade engaging means comprising sharpening rolls mounted on the flaps, means for rotating the rolls, rigid blade locating pins extending upward from the bottom of the casing, and means within the casing and acting on the outer ends of said flaps for retaining the same in a closed position and also yieldable to enable the flaps to be pressed toward the rolls in said casing when a blade is being sharpened.

4. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps having slots in their inner edges, pivoted to the casing, sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, sharpening rolls mounted on the flaps, means for rotating the rolls, blade 1ocating pins extending upward from the bottom of the casing, studs extending inward from the casing through the slots in the cover flaps, and springs fixed to the cover flaps and adapted to engage said studs and support the cover flaps in a closed position.

5. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps pivoted to the casing, blade engaging means comprising sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, blade engaging means on said flaps cooperating with said rolls, means for rotating the rolls, and means mounted on the cover flaps'and said casing including yielding elements and cooperating stationary elements, one of said sets of elements being movable with said flaps and the other carried by said casing and said yielding elements yielding when the flaps are pressed toward the rolls in said casing to tension said yielding elements on said stationary elements.

6. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps pivoted thereto, cooperating sharpening rolls in said casing on said flaps operable from the exterior of said casing, blade locating in said casing, and means yieldably supporting said flaps in closed position yieldable to permit depression or" the same below said position inoperative on said flaps when the latter are raised to open position.

'7. A razor sharpener comprising casing, cover flaps pivoted thereto, co-operatlng sharpening rolls mounted in said casing and on said flaps operable from the exterior of said casing, blade locating means in said casing, and means yieldably supporting said laps in closed position yieldable to permit depression of the same below said position and inoperative on said flaps when the latter are raised to open position comprising a pin and slot connection between said flaps and casing and springs on said flaps underlying said pins when said flaps are closed.

8. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps pivoted thereto, co-operating sharpening rolls mounted in said casing and on said flaps operable roin the exterior of said casing, blade locating means in said casing, m ans yieldably supporting said flaps closed position yieldable to permit depression of the same below said position and inoperative on said when the latter are raised to open position, and means on said flaps and easing limiting the opening movement of said flaps.

9. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps pivoted thereto, co-operating sharpening rolls mounted in said casing and on said flaps operable from the ext rior or said casing, blade locating means in casing, moans yieldably supporting said flaps in closed position yieldable to permit depression of the same below said position and inope 'ative on when the latter are raised to open position, and means on said flaps and easing limiting th opening movement of said flaps comprising operat ng members on the tops of said flaps engageable with said casing.

10. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing having end walls, cover flaps pivoted to the casing and having depending end portions movable inside the end walls of the latter and for ing a continuation of end in the closed positions of the flaps, blade means comprising sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, blade engaging means on said and co-opcrating with said rolls, means for rotating said rolls, and means exte- -lal of the casing forming actuating portions on said flaps engaging said end walls for hibiting conflict of said depending portions with the rolls in said casing.

11. A razor blade sharpener comprising casing having end walls, cover flaps pivoted to the casing and having depending end portions inevable inside the end walls of the latter and forming a continuation of said end walls in the closed sitions of the flaps, blade engaging means coinprising sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, blade engaging means on said flaps co-operating with said rolls, means ior rotating said rolls, actuating projections on said flaps above said depending portions engageable with the end walls of the casing in the open positions of the flaps before said depending portions engage said rolls.

12. A razor blade sharpener comprising a cas ing having end walls, cover flaps pivoted to the casing and having depend ng end portions movable inside the end walls of the casing and having slots in said depending portions, blade enga means comprising rolls mounted in the c g, blade engaging means on flaps comp-crating with said rolls, means for rotating said rolls, and positioning means for said flaps having stationary members on the casing projecting into said slots as said flaps are moved about their pivots spring means carried on said flaps and co-operating with said members.

13. A razor blade sharpener coin rising a cashaving end walls, cover flaps pivoted to the casing and having depending end portions mov- -.ble inside the end walls of the latter, blade engaging means comprising sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, blade engaging means on said flaps co-operating with said rolls, m ans for operating the rolls, and projecting means on said flaps for swinging the latter about their pivots also engageable with the ends of said casing in the open position of the flaps.

14. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing having end walls, cover fiaps pivoted to the casing and having depending endportionsmovable inside the end walls of the latter, blade engaging means comprising sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, blade engaging means on said flaps cooperating with said rolls, means for operating the rolls, and projecting means on said flaps for swinging the latter about their pivots also engageable with the ends of said casing in the open position of the flaps and comprising struck-up tongues on the tops of said flaps.

15. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps pivoted to the casing, blade engaging means comprising sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, blade engaging means mounted on the flaps and cooperating with said rolls, means for rotating the rolls, stationary blade locating pins extending upward from the bottom or the casing, and spring means engaging between said iiaps and casing and supporting said l flaps in a closed position when substantially untensioned, said means being so constructed and arranged that the flaps may be opened outward to disengage said spring means or pressed inward to tension said means.

15. A razor blade sharpener comprising ing, cover flaps pivoted to the casing, blade engaging means comprising sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, blade engaging means mounted on the flaps and cooperating with said rolls, means for rotating the rolls, rigid blade loeating pins extendin upward from the bottom of the casing to a plane below the close cover flaps, and spring means mounted on the flaps and frictionally engaging with the casing for supporting said flaps in a closed position when substantially untensioned, said means being so constructed and arr nged that the flaps may be opened outwar to disengage said spring means or pressed inward to tension said spring means.

17. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps pivoted to the casing, blade engaging means comprising sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, blade engaging means mounted on the flaps and cooperating. with said rolls, means for rotating the rolls, stationary blade locatin pins extending upward from the bottom of the casing, and means frictionally engaging between the flaps and casing and retaining said flaps in a closed position, said means being 2) CES- so constructed and arranged that the flaps may be pressed inward or opened outward by reverse movement thereof.

18. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps pivoted to the casing, said flaps having slots in their inner edges, blade engaging means comprising sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, blade engaging means mounted on the flaps and co-operating with said rolls, mean for rotating the rolls, blade locating pins rigidly secured to and extending upward from the bottom of the casing, studs extending inward from the casing through the slots in the cover flaps, and springs fixed to the cover flaps and adapted to engage said. studs and retain the cover flaps in a closed position.

19. A razor blade sharpener comprising a casing, cover flaps pivoted to the casing, blade engaging means comprising sharpening rolls mounted in the casing, blade engaging means on said flaps and cooperating with said rolls, means for rotating the rolls, and frictionally engaging means including spring and abutment elements mounted in part on the cover flaps and in part on said casing retaining the flaps in a closed position when said spring elements are substantially untensioned, said means being constructed and arranged to allow the flaps to be pressed inward to tension said spring elements while increasing the pressure on a blade between said blade engaging means and said rolls.

FRANK E. WOLCOTT. 

